Rory McIlroy Finishes 1-Over at 2017 PGA Championship After Shooting 3-Under

Rory McIlroy saved his best for last at the PGA Championship in Charlotte on Sunday, shooting a three-under 68 to finish the tournament at one over. 

While McIlroy came into the day out of contention for the title—he was 11 strokes behind Kevin Kisner after Saturday's play—he notched his first below-par round at Quail Hollow Club this week, a solid finish to an otherwise trying tournament for the star.  

You can see the PGA Championship leaderboard below:

McIlroy started off solidly, parring the first four holes before adding a birdie on No. 5.

After a birdie on No. 7, McIlroy was two under for the day. The PGA Championship shared his birdie putt: 

But he was unable to go on a hot streak, promptly carding a bogey on No. 8.

He stabilized from there, however, notching pars on the next five holes before posting back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15.

He'd finish with three straight pars, capping off a strong round that also included some lovely drives: 

Indeed, he averaged 323 yards on his drives, hit 72.2 percent of his greens in regulation gained 0.665 strokes putting, per PGATour.com. If there is one certainty when it comes to McIlroy, it's that he will drill at least a few powerful and picturesque drives.

That aside, McIlroy's strong finale may leave him wondering what might have been had he played as consistently well in the first three rounds.

He might also be wondering how he might have played had he been healthier this season. On Saturday, McIlroy suggested during an interview on Sky Sports that he still isn't completely recovered from the rib injury that has hampered him in 2017.

"It's not a factor when I'm out on the course, but it's a factor off the course in terms of how much time I can practice," McIlroy said. "It's a Catch 22 because I want to play and I can play, but I can't put the practice in that I need to to get myself up in contention.

"We'll see where we go from here. I'll play tomorrow and assess my options for the rest of the year. I've still got a few big tournaments left, so it's a question of whether I play in all of them or take some time off to get 100 percent healthy."

McIlroy reiterated that sentiment on Sunday, telling reporters: "You might not see me again until next year, you might see me in a couple weeks."

It wouldn't be surprising if McIlroy opted for more rest than play down the stretch to ensure he's ready to go for next season. McIlroy remains one of the brightest talents in golf, but he has also failed to win a major since he claimed two in 2014. 

It will be more difficult to end that drought if the injury bug bites once again.